


Safest Place

by PsychoDolphin



Category: Free!
Genre: AU that's been done a million times over, Firefighter!Makoto, Kinda, M/M, baker!Haru, but hey, future fish, why not i guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2020-11-10 18:22:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20856200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsychoDolphin/pseuds/PsychoDolphin
Summary: It's hard for a volunteer firefighter to find an employer who is willing to give him a chance, what with crazy schedules and the unpredictable nature of fires. After leaving his full-time position due to a cut in the fire department's funding, Makoto is forced to look for a new source of income. Luckily, the owner of a small, popular cafe in Iwatobi is looking for a part-timer.





	1. Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Dudes! I'm Alive!!!!  
I'm currently student teaching and dying through the whole thing from stress, so I've thrown myself back into my writing and back into my all-time favorite couple to help me cope. This is an idea that's been playing around in my head for the last year or so, after living with a volunteer firefighter for most of my life. So, after brainstorming more cute ways from one of the only decent couples in my life to interact and more ways to torture them, I've finally decided to start posting this story. Unlike Bound Together, I don't have a set schedule for releasing chapters for this one. It's going to be my stress relief story if that makes any sense, but hopefully, you guys will enjoy it too.

Haru frowned as he kneaded the dough, the two-week notice Gou had just given him resting on a clean spot on the table a few feet away. It wasn’t that he was angry she was leaving, of course not. In fact, he couldn’t be prouder of the girl. She had started working for him in her second year of high school, and now that she had graduated, she had decided to go to college in a bigger town a few hours away, and he had fully supported that decision. Of course, he hadn’t quite realized that the fact that she was graduating meant that he would have to find someone to replace her. He had been so focused on trying to be supportive that it wasn’t until she had brought in her official notice, pleading for Haru to allow her to work extra hours so she could try and save money to live on for the next few months, that he realized just how much he really didn’t want her to go.

Because that meant he’d need to post a job opening. He’d have to hold interviews. He’d have to find someone else that wouldn’t destroy his cafe. 

He frowned and kneaded the dough harder.

“Haru-chan,” Haru looked up to see Nagisa poking his head into the kitchen. “Could you please talk to Gou and let her know you're not ticked at her?”

“What?” Haru wiped his hands on his apron, walking over to the sink to wash them. “Of course I'm not!”

“I know that, but could you just tell her? She freaked because you're not saying anything.” Nagisa shook his head. “You really gotta work on communication, Haru-chan.” 

Haru said nothing for a moment, drying his hands before saying, “Send her in.”

Nagisa pointed at him, but he disappeared. Gou appeared a moment later, wringing her hands as she came. “You wanted to see me?”

“I’m not mad at you.” He turned away from her, going to the tray of baked goods that hadn’t been put on the storefront yet. He grabbed a cupcake and took it to Gou, handing it to her.

The girl blinked, staring down at the cupcake, then looking back at Haru. “Huh?”

“I’m - I’m not mad, or angry or anything like that. I’m happy that you're going to college, Gou. It’s just that I’m not looking forward to finding someone who can take your place.”

“Oh, Is that it?” Gou brought the cupcake up to her mouth and took a bite. Her eyes fell shut and she hummed at the taste. “This is really good. Thank you.” Haru just nodded, leaning back against the counter. Now that Gou knew she wasn’t in trouble, she relaxed, hopping up onto one of the stools. “You know, maybe I can help a little. I actually know someone looking for a job. One of my brother’s friends.”

Haru gave her a strained look, shaking his head. “If it’s that tall dark-haired guy-”

“Sousuke?” Gou laughed. “No way. He’s on the force with Rin; he’d never take a job here. Actually, it’s another of his friends. Makoto Tachibana. He’s been looking for part-time work that’s flexible, but he’s been having problems finding anyone who will hire him.”

Haru frowned at this. He had taken a risk hiring Gou when he had; the girl had been turned away from other jobs because people were worried she would slack off because she was only in high school. And while Gou had worked out well, he needed someone who could be reliable “Why?”

Gou frowned, and swinging her legs, not meeting Haru’s eyes. “Well, he needs a really flexible schedule, ‘cause he has another job, and it’s kind of unpredictable when he’ll have to go in.”

“Gou,” Haru sighed, shaking his head. “I don’t think-”

“Please, Haru! Just talk to him. He’s a hard worker, even more than me! And he can get along with anybody. Just talk to him, give him a chance. Please? If you do, whenever I come home to visit, I’ll work here!”

Haru sighed and shook his head. He really did need someone to replace Gou, but this guy still sounded like a bad choice. After all, What was he supposed to do if the guy had to take off for the other job, and no one else could come in? 

He was about to say as much when he looked at Gou and froze. The girl was staring him down, eyes bright fire and determination. Obviously, this guy was important to her if it was someone she was willing to fight this hard for, and he was sure that any argument he made against interviewing him would be met with some sort of criticism. 

Well, it wouldn’t hurt to interview him. If only as a favor for Gou.

“Fine. Tell him to be here tomorrow morning. And you’ll be in charge of training him if I do hire him. And there will be conditions?” He had to shout that last bit, because Gou was squealing with delight, bouncing down from the chair and setting the cupcake aside to throw her arms around Haru. He flinched back, hesitantly moving to pat her back as she pulled away.

“Thank you, Haru! I’ll go call him right now. You won’t be disappointed, I promise!” She called as she hurried out the back door, already pulling out her phone. The door to ally shut with a thud, and Haru just stared after her.

“Aww, Haru is sweetheart after all!” Haru blanched, turning slowly to see Kisumi in the doorway between the cafe and the kitchen, a grin on his face, Nagisa bouncing behind him to try and see into the kitchen.

“Shut up,” he huffed, tossing a bit of flour in their direction as he turned back to the bread dough on the counter, wondering what exactly he just signed himself up for.

* * *

You would think that being a firefighter would mean that he was completely in shape. After all, Makoto carried people through burning buildings, had lifted beams out of doorways, and had climbed more trees to fetch cats for old ladies than he could count. By all rights, he should be as in shape as he was ever going to be. 

Despite that, he was still panting as he ran down the street. Today, of all days, there had to be a fire, and he had to be one of the only ones who could respond to it. It was like the universe was laughing at him for choosing a career that couldn’t pay him, making him late for the only job interview he’d gotten in months.

It had been a small stove fire, a young child trying to cook breakfast for his parents who worked a night shift. Makoto had shown up, tossed on a fire jacket, not realizing that he had grabbed the older, worn-out one that had been in his truck for ages, needing to be thrown out. It wasn’t until he had reached through the stovetop fire (a stupid move, even with better protection) to turn off the gas and felt his arm begin to scream in pain, that he realized his mistake. 

But the fire was put out, and the parents came home to a still crying child. As soon as everyone was safe and accounted for, Makoto sent the chief a text, letting him know where he was going and slipped away from the scene. 

Of course, by the time he made it to the café, all of the parking spaces out front were surrounded. So he’d had to park almost half a mile down the street.

His arm burned as he jogged down the street, Iwatobi Café finally coming into sight. He breathed a sigh of relief, only to groan when he saw Gou’s bright red ponytail. Why did she have to be working today?

Gou was glancing nervously up and down the street, shuffling her feet as she glanced around. She turned towards him, and relief flooded her face. “You’re here!”

He grinned tightly, pulling his arm behind him. “Sorry, Gou. Got called out.”

Gou shook her head, a smile on her face. “I’m just glad you’re here. Haru was getting impatient.”

“Umm, you did tell him I’m a firefighter, right?”

The girl wouldn’t meet his eyes, rocking back and forth on his feet. “Sort of… I told him that your schedule is a bit chaotic.”

“Gou…” Makoto shook his head. He knew that the girl had been worried about him; hell, everyone had been worried about him. Once the fire department had to cut costs, and Makoto had lost his salary with the department, everyone had pitched in. Rin and Sousuke and Gou had started inviting him around for dinner, and Chief Seijuro was making sure that any gas he used when driving to a fire in his own truck was compensated, sometimes overcompensated. He still had a decent savings account that could keep him afloat for another 3 months, but not having a job was slowly draining him, and sending everyone around him into a panic. 

Makoto bit his lip, then sighed. “Come on, let’s go in.” 

Gou nodded and held the door open, and Makoto followed her, arm still tucked behind his back. 

“Haru! he’s here!” Gou called as Makoto glanced around. The café was packed, people tucked in around blue tables covered in delicious looking pastries and savory smelling drinks. The chatter was low, music so quiet in the background he could barely hear it. 

The walls of the café were painted a calming blue, matching the color of the chairs, with white trimming in the corners. The windows were covered in white curtains. In the front of the café, a display case was filled with more treats that made Makoto’s stomach rumble. 

Gou gave him a grin. “Smell great right? Haru’s food is always amazing.”

Makoto nodded, eyeing a muffin on the top shelf of the display.

“Who's your friend, Gou? A boyfriend?” Makoto glanced up, face heating up and stomach-churning uncomfortably as a tall, pink-haired boy sauntered up to them, leaning over the display to grin at them. “He’s a little old for you, isn’t he? Probably closer to my age, huh?” The boy’s eyes gave a thorough once over that sent him into a full-body blush.

“Shut up, Kisumi. He’s a friend of my brothers.” Gou frowned at him. “Where’s Haru?”

“He’s in the back still. He’s been making muffins all morning.”

Makoto frowned and look to Gou, noticing only now that unlike Kisumi, she wasn’t wearing a blue apron. “You’re not working today?”

Gou shook her head. “No, just came down to… moderate, I guess. Haru can be a little difficult.”

“Careful, Gou-chan.” Makoto glanced up to see a yellow boy at the cash register, handing a bag of pastries off to a customer. “ Don’t let Haru-chan hear you say that.”

“Please,” Kisumi laughed. “She’s probably the only one who could get away with saying that about Haru.”

“I’ve said it to him, but we have a special relationship,” the yellow boy teased, giving the customer leaving the cafe a small wave.

Kisumi groaned. “Does he just hate me or something?”

“No,” Gou rushed to say, but the other boy was already speaking over her.

“Not hate, but irritate. Maybe if you didn’t flirt with him constantly, he wouldn’t have so many issues with you.”

“I’m sorry, but have you seen him?” Kisumi threw his hands up in the air. “The guy is freaking gorgeous and stoic like a rock. I’d have to be insane to not give it a shot, or at least tease him just a little bit. Besides, I don’t mean anything by it.” The fluffy-haired boy turned to Makoto. “Have you seen him yet?”

“Uh, no?”

Kisumi just nodded. “You’ll see what I mean. Dude is six feet of heartbreak with a scowl.” 

“Haru is not six feet tall!” Gou argued, while Makoto just stood beside her, unsure of what the hell was going on.

“Whatever. Just let me fantasize just a little, please?” Kisumi sighed dramatically, glancing back towards where Makoto guessed the kitchen was. “Just you wait. One day he’ll admit that what’s going on between us is true love at it’s finest.”

“You’re really at it today, Kisu. Is Asahi ignoring you again?”

Kisumi stood up straight, rolling his eyes. “Please, like that boy could ignore me if he tried. No, he’s just been busy with work for the last few days…” Kisumi trailed off, staring out the window in thought. The other cashier laughed, grabbed a straw from beside the register, and tossed it at his co-worker. Kisumi started when the straw landed on his head, scowling at his friend.

“Please, just ask that boy out before Haru just fires you for annoying him.” Gou laughed. “Come on, Makoto. Let’s go see Haru.”

Makoto was so preoccupied with trying to keep up with the conversation that he didn’t even notice Gou reach for his injured arm, and he couldn’t contain the gasp of pain when she grabbed his forearm. The skin throbbed at the touch, and he had to fight tears of pain from leaking from his eyes. 

“Makoto?” Gou ripped her hand away. He could feel the eyes of the workers and patrons in the café on him, and guilt and embarrassment twisted in his gut.

“You’re hurt? Why didn’t you tell me? Didn’t you have it looked at before you left?” Gou’s voice was high pitched and desperate, and Makoto forced his head up to give her a weak smile.

“I’m fine Gou, real-“

“You didn’t have it checked out? Damn it Makoto, you were in a fire! Why wouldn’t you-“

“Gou,” a new voice, low and quiet cut her off, and silence fell over the café, the music still playing cheerily in the background. 

“Sorry, Haru. Can you help?”

Makoto didn’t hear the man’s reply, but suddenly Gou’s hand was on his other arm, and she was guiding him to stand, leaving him behind the counter. He glanced up to see her leading him through a set of swinging double doors behind the counter, pushing ahead of him to hold the door open.

Makoto walked through the doors into a large kitchen. Stainless steel ovens and spotless counters were along the wall, and on an island in the middle of the room was a mess of flour, frosting, and trays upon trays of cupcakes with yellow frosting. Compared to the café in the other room, the kitchen was almost blinding, the walls white, and the appliance shiny in the fluorescent lights.

“Take a seat,” the quiet voice came from the back of the room, where a door led to a darker room that Makoto couldn’t see into. Gou just nodded and led Makoto to a chair, frowning.

“Gou, I’m fine, really. It’s just a surface burn, it’ll be fine in a day or so.”

“Burns infect easily. You should still get it checked out.” Makoto looked up and stopped breathing.

Makoto knew a lot of attractive people. His best friend, Rin, broke hearts left and right with a sharp grin, and Sousuke couldn’t go to a bar without getting free drinks all night long, most of which he handed off to Rin whenever they all went out. Makoto knew that he was fairly attractive as well. But this man took everything Makoto thought he knew about what was attractive and threw it out the window.

The man was shorter than him, definitely not the six-foot that Kisumi was praising earlier, but his stoic look gave him a presence that was hard to overlook. His cool blue eyes were fixed on Makoto in a stare that left Makoto wanting to crawl into a hole but also just bask in the feel of his gaze. Despite his controlled demeanor, Makoto saw a mess of yellow frosting dashed on his cheek, and the flour-mussed blue apron tied around his waist was actually adorable. 

“Makoto, can you raise your shirt sleeve?” Gou asked, and Makoto pulled his gaze away from Haru to look at his friend. He nodded, fully expecting that he would be able to pull up the sleeve. But as he pulled it up, the cloth rubbed against the skin of his arm. He winced, and Gou stepped away. “Ok, maybe you should just take off your shirt instead.”

Makoto stared up at her, horrified. Sure, he was wearing an undershirt, and even so, Gou had seen him without a shirt on before, whenever he and Rin would take her swimming. But he here he was, sitting in a kitchen, injured, in front of his best friend’s kid sister and his hopefully future employer. He was already embarrassed enough, but the idea of taking off his shirt now was mortifying.

Gou just rolled her eyes. “Makoto, take off the damn shirt.”

“Gou, maybe you should step out?”

Gou and Makoto both looked at Haru. Haru was setting down a box, a first aid kit, on the counter, and began sorting through it. “It might make him more comfortable, and this is supposed to be an interview.”

Gou began to protest, but Makoto said, “It’s fine, Gou. Just go chill out in the café. I’ll be fine.”

Gou frowned at him, pouting. She turned to Haru, glaring. “Don’t be unfair. Give him a chance, got it?”

“Got it.” Gou huffed, then turned on her heel and walked out of the kitchen. Makoto watched her go, watching as the door swung shut. He only looked back when he felt eyes on him, but when he looked at Haru, the man was focused on the first aid kit, pulling out bandages and other packages. “Are you going to take off your shirt or not?”

Makoto swallowed, nodded, then moved to unbutton his red and black flannel shirt. He pulled it off quickly, wincing as he slid the rough fabric off his injured arm. Finally, he pulled the shirt away and set it on the floor, and glanced up at Haru.

Haru was staring at him again, and Makoto swore that his cheeks were just a little pink. He glanced down at his body, wondering if there was something on his plain white undershirt. It was clean, though Makoto could still smell the smoke on his clothes. He looked up, and Haru was still staring. “Uh, Haru?”

Haru blinked slowly, then raised his gaze to Makoto’s. the slight pink in his cheeks got a little darker and he turned away. “Sorry,”

Makoto chuckled, looking away as well. “No, it’s fine. I guess this is pretty weird for an interview, huh?”

Haru shook his head, grabbing a package of medicine. “Trust me. This is about average for an interview around here. Nagisa barged into his interview ten minutes late with a latte, and his ex-boyfriend came in ten minutes later.”

“Really? What happened?”

“The guy tore up a few of my tables. Nagisa tried to kick the guy out, and then Gou’s brother showed up in time to scare the guy off.”

“And you still hired Nagisa?”

Haru didn’t quite meet his eyes, Tearing the package in his hand open and carefully applying the medicine to his skin. Makoto jumped at that cold, and the smell of lidocaine filled his senses. “He needed a job, and he’s a good worker. Not his fault some asshole can’t take no for an answer.” Makoto smiled at this, then winced as Haru pressed down on the burn just a little too hard. “Sorry,”

“It’s fine.”

“So, I’m guessing this burn has something to do with your schedule needing to be flexible?” It was barely a question, Haru’s voice flat, non-judgemental, but more like he didn’t really care about the answer either way. Haru set down the lidocaine package back into the first aid kit and pulled out a bandage wrap, quickly wrapping it around the burn, tucking the wrap in on itself to keep it in place.

“Yeah, uh, kinda.” Makoto took a deep breath, then explained. “I’m a volunteer firefighter. I used to work full time, but then there were budget cuts, and they needed to let someone go, so,” Makoto shrugged, reaching for his button-up and slowly sliding it over his bandaged arm. “It was either me or another guy. I chose me.”

Haru gave him a look, almost like he was between being impressed and irritated. “He needed money more that you?”

“He just got married. His husbands got a job as a teacher, but they’re just starting off. They need to be able to spend time together. I can spend extra time working to keep doing what I love.”

“Even if no one hires you?”

Makoto hesitated, suddenly unsure of what to say. Of course, he had given up being paid for what he loved to help Momo; Hell, he’d practically watched the kid grow up, watched him idolize his older brother, desperate to follow in his footsteps. Even if Momo had said that he wanted to take the pay cut, Makoto wouldn’t have let him. He was second in charge, only behind Seijuro. If anyone was going to take a pay cut, he wanted it to be him, not the ones who barely made enough to make the job worth it, to begin with.

He raised his head a little higher, looking Haru in the eye. He wouldn’t back down. He had done the best he could, he had tried to help the people he cared about. Eventually, he would get back on his feet, whether this gruff (gorgeous) guy was will to take a chance on him.

“Yeah, even if no one hires me.”

Haru watched him carefully for a moment, his gaze seeming to soften, though it was a little hard to tell. Makoto tried to hold his gaze, not wanting to back down, but the longer the silence went on, the more he began to realize he wasn’t getting this job. There was no way-

“Can you be here tomorrow?”

‘I understand. Tha- wait for what?” Makoto was halfway through thanking him for the opportunity before he processed what Haru had said. “Tomorrow?”

“You seem nice. And Gou likes you.” The man shrugged, picking up the first aid kit. “I’ll keep you away from the kitchen since you seem to burn easily, but you’d do fine up front, probably.”

Makoto felt his jaw drop just a little. Out of the kitchen… was that a joke? He didn’t think Haru seemed like an easy person to joke with, but if he was trying then… maybe this wouldn’t be too bad? “Uh, yeah. I mean,” He sat up, realizing exactly what was happening. He had a job. Someone who would work with him. “Yes, I can come in tomorrow. They won’t let me back out onto a fire until this heals.” He gestured toward his arm.

“Good. We can talk about your schedule then. Try to find some times you can work and work out what we’ll do if you have to leave.” He closed the lid on the box and walked to the back room. “Gou and I will train you, so we won’t throw you out there right away, but we’ll see how this goes.”

Makoto stated after him, but he wasn’t really looking. Could this really be happening? The strange guy, who seemed grumpy and unhappy; the exact opposite of someone he would picture running a cafe and, even more so, giving people a chance. But here he was, actually telling Makoto that he would give Makoto a chance. Something he probably thought was just a chance to work and earn some money. But it meant so much more. It was a real chance! A chance to do what he loved while also being able to stand on his own feet. He could stop letting Rin and Gou support him, he could support himself again. 

“Makoto?”

Makoto blinked, focusing, and found a pair of brilliant blue eyes staring back at him. Haru had been frowning for their entire talk, but Makoto hadn’t had a chance to really look at those eyes. They moved like the ocean, flickering over Makoto’s face, trying to read him. Hesitant. Was he doing what Makoto wanted? Would this hurt his employees? But firm. For a moment, Makoto thought Haru did know what this meant to him. He knew and wanted to give Makoto a chance to do what he loved, to support him. Makoto wasn’t sure if he was reading those eyes right, but his gut told him Haru knew. 

Makoto nodded. “Thank you.” He murmured, not tearing his eyes away, and Haru didn’t break his gaze either.

Haru didn’t say anything, just nodded, then turned away and went towards the oven. Makoto hesitated for a second, watching Haru pull it open, grabbing a pair of oven mitts from beside the over and slipping them on before pulling out a tray of what looked like muffins. The smell and the ambient heat wafted through the kitchen, and Makoto took a deep breath, almost drooling at the sweet smell of the baked good.

“That smells amazing,” He mumbled, not thinking as he stared at the tray in Haru’s hands. Haru glanced at him, setting the tray down, then walked out of the kitchen, back into the office. Makoto wondered if he was going to get some paperwork, but Haru walked out with a small paper plate. He walked back over to the tray and used a set of tongs to carefully pull a muffin out and place it on the plate. He turned and pressed the plate towards Makoto’s uninjured arm.

“Here,” He muttered. “So you don’t the burn yourself.”

That was a joke. He was joking. Makoto bit his lip, trying not to laugh at the awful joke when kitchen doors burst open, and Nagisa and Gou came bursting in.

“Haru, stop joking around, It’s not funny that he burnt himself.” Gou was chiding him, almost like a mother than an employee, and Haru looked away from her, careful not to meet her eyes but not saying anything either. 

Nagisa, on the other hand, was more focused on the tray of muffins. “Haru-chan, I want to try! is this the new recipe? I thought I would get the first taste?”

Haru turned his attention between Makoto and Nagisa, carefully not meeting Gou’s still irritated gaze. “He’s new. He gets to try it first.” He looked towards Makoto, who took that as a cue. He set the plate down and carefully broke off a piece of the muffin, still hot in his fingers. He blew on it, then placed the bite in his mouth. The muffin was sweet, a banana flavor, and even piping hot, it almost seemed to melt in his mouth. He swallowed, then grinned. “It’s amazing! Tastes as good as it smells!” 

Haru nodded, a small smile playing at his lips, and Makoto tried to ignore the tightening in his chest at that little smile. Then Haru nodded at Nagisa, who practically threw himself at the tray, a muffin in each hand.

“It’s hot!” Makoto warned but fell silent when Nagisa began to bite in, barely chewing before swallowing.

Gou sighed. “Nagisa would rather burn himself than miss out on Haru’s food,” Nagisa nodded in agreement, mouth full of banana muffin, and Makoto couldn’t help but laugh. He let his gaze slide across the room, to Gou, chiding Nagisa, who looked like he had so much muffin in his mouth he might choke, to Haru, who was watching his two employees with a soft, caring gaze. It was so much different for what he had seen from the man during their time together. And as Gou and Nagisa bickered, not even noticing the warm gaze Haru gave them, he wondered if they had ever seen just how much this boss seemed to care about them.

Makoto took another bite of his muffin, considering for just a moment. Maybe there was more to this man than he’d seen at first.


	2. Sunshine and Happiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haru wonders why he started the Cafe and finds that Makoto has what it takes to remind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, no excuses. I filled out my first application to work as a full-time teacher and then decided to finish up this chapter. Its been partly finished for since I graduated in December, but I only now finished it. Hopefully it won't be nearly as long until my next chapter.

“Have a great day!” Makoto smiled as he waved two customers as they left, his cheery tone making the customers grin as they walked out the door. It was strange, Haru thought from where he was watching from the window in the door separating the kitchen and the cafe. Makoto had only been there for a month, but already he seemed like a fixture in the cafe.

During the interview, Haru had been worried that maybe this man was too kind and genuine to work for him. Too many customers tried to get free drinks by flirting or threatening. He just seemed too… nice.

But the fear was unfounded. While the smile rarely left Makoto’s mouth, he had a firm attitude that demanded the respect of any who talked to him. He would speak firmly but softly to kids who thought they could just come behind the counter to grab food. Even some of the most hard-faced regulars who came in for coffee, ones that Nagisa and Kisumi, for as charming as they both could be, could never get to crack a smile or say a kind word, softened at Makoto’s kind gaze. The grumpy old man who never had anything good to say to anyone, who usually grumbled that Haru was nothing but a nasty kid and Nagisa and Kisumi were wasting their lives, was silenced may that gentle smile. Customers would walk in with hopeful gazes, clearly looking for the newest member of the staff, either approaching the counter with joyful grins if he was there or hovering around before eventually leaving when he wasn’t. It was good for business when Makoto was there, and the cafe felt empty when he wasn’t.

Haru chewed his lip, leaning up on his toes to get a better look through the slightly too tall window as Makoto began to wipe down the counters, his smile softening. Haru was willing to bet that if he was close enough to hear him, the man would be humming to himself, bopping to the quiet music. It was no wonder there was a swarm of new people coming in to get a look at the handsome worker. His sandy blonde hair fell in front of his eyes as he worked, eyes that glowed a bright, vibrant green. His smile, which seemed to constantly be plastered on his face, felt like the sun itself, warm and inviting. It made someone (and that someone definitely wasn’t him, Haru placated himself by thinking) want to do whatever it took to get that smile trained on them. That smile gave such a sense of peace like the world couldn’t possibly be all bad or annoying. It reminded Haru about why he opened the cafe to begin with before it became a way to pay bills or do something productive in society. The treats he baked could bring just a little smile to someone’s face. It was an idea Haru had almost forgotten about, but now that Makoto was here, a personal sun for the restaurant, Haru wondered why he had forgotten it in the first place.

“He’s cute, huh?” Fingers poked into Haru’s sides, and he jumped, rounding around to glare at the pair of bright violet eyes staring back at him. 

“Why are you here, Kisumi?” Haru grumbled, careful to not look back toward the door, wondering if Makoto had caught him looking, or if he had heard the thud of Haru pressing the door. 

“You didn’t answer my question, why should I answer yours?” Kisumi laughed and walked over to the counter that constantly had a space cleared for either him or Nagisa to perch on when they came to visit him in his kitchen. Haru made sure that the counter was far from where he prepared food, since trying to get them to understand that the counters weren’t meant for sitting on was a lost cause at this point. The least could do was make sure not to bake using the counter they frequented.

Haru didn’t say anything and just returned to his counter on the other side of the kitchen, quickly cracking the four eggs he had set aside earlier into the bowl. He heard Kisumi sigh.

“You know, and this is just my experience, so take it or leave it. But when you are interested in someone, talking to them usually works better than staring at the back of their head” 

“And your love life’s been so successful?” Haru snapped, not even thinking about the words that came out of his mouth. His stomach twisted in regret as he saw the sly smile slide across Kisumi’s lips. 

“I mean, my love life is going fine, but that wasn’t what I meant at all,” his voice was high, a winning tone, one that practically screamed he had Haru right where he wanted him.” I thought you just wanted to be friends with him, Haru-chan,” The end of the sentence was a high pitch, teasing whine, and Haru had to hold himself back from flicking flour in his face as he poured it into the bowl. 

“Shut up Kisumi,”

Kisumi’s grin widened, and he hopped over the counter to sling his arm around Haru’s shoulder. “But you know, It really is a shame. You have so much potential as a heartbreaker. You’re so dark and cool. You could probably back that man into a corner and have him trembling.” Haru didn’t know how, but as he spoke, Kisumi turned him around, arm slipping off his shoulder and moving to pin him back against the counter. Haru leaned back, bending against the edge.

“Kisumi-”

”You’ve got such a cool presence, so calm and in control. You put that to use, and you’d have that boy on his knees … unless,” He paused leaning closer, and Haru’s back began to strain, the sound of the bowl behind him as his back pushed it. He could feel Kisumi’s breath against his skin, blowing his hair. Haru had to stop himself from flinching away at the touch. “Maybe you don’t want that. Maybe you want him to do this to you. Press you against the wall, help you to let go.”

“Haru, do you have any- oh” They heard the door swing open, and Haru dropped his gaze down, Not looking at Kisumi, who just laughed and pulled away, or Makoto, who he was sure was still standing by the door, mouth agape.

“I-Uh- Sorry, I-” Makoto could barely get a word out, mouth hanging open, face bright pink. His gaze kept shifting around the room, but whenever he glanced at Haru, the pink hue of his face brightened ever so slightly.

“I-I didn’t mean to interrupt, I swear, I just- we need more muffins!” With a rush of words that were more air than vocalizations, Makoto turned on his heel and peeled out of the room, door swinging as he sped out.

Haru’s gut twisted as he stared after him, warring with himself as he fought to either drop it, or to chase after Makoto, to explain that it wasn’t what it looked like, that Kisumi was just being an asshole.

“Geez, You really do have it bad don’t you,” Kisumi muttered, and Haru turned to glare at him, meaning to tell him to mind his own business, but he wasn’t looking at Haru, his eyes fixed on the swinging door.

“You just have to stick your nose in everything, don’t you?” Haru muttered, turning back to the bowl behind him.

“Just worried about you, Haru. I mean, if you gave it a little effort-”

“Maybe I’m fine with how things are, Kisumi. Maybe you should work on trying to win that boy of yours over instead of playing matchmaker for everyone else.” something akin to guilt pooled in his stomach as he said that, but he just watched as Kisumi's face dropped into a sulk.

“Asahi’s just so dense,” he muttered, huffing and walking over to grab an apron of his own.

Haru opened his mouth to say something, though he really wasn't sure what was about to come out when a sound interrupted him.

It was a high pitched tone, making his ears ring and his chest tighten. He turned, glancing at the ovens, but they weren’t making the noise. It seemed to be coming from the black bag in the Office. Haru took a step towards it but froze when the door swung open and Makoto hurried through, eyes locked on where the sound was coming from. He crossed the kitchen in seconds, and the sight of him made Haru’s chest tighten. He looked different, not the same guy who had been out in the cafe moments before. 

Makoto rifled through the bag and pulled out a dark handheld radio. He pressed something on the side, and the tone ended, replaced with garbled voices that Haru couldn’t make out. Makoto seemed to be listening intently, staring off into the distance as he listened to the voices. Then the tone returned again, harsh on Haru’s ears, but Makoto twisted a knob, and it quieted significantly, only a dull drone in the background. 

“I have to leave.” He said quickly, pulling off his apron and setting it aside, reaching for his bag.

“Is there a bad fire?”Kisumi asked before Haru could say anything. 

Makoto nodded. “It’s a house fire. Possible civilians inside.” The words were strict and professional, and Haru almost swayed at the difference. The man had always seemed so sweet and gentle, always speaking with a happy tone. He was so hesitant when learning, comfortable to be around. But all Haru saw now was a dark focus. The kitchen was silent for what felt like hours, but couldn’t have been more than a few minutes when that focus faded, and Makoto turned to look at him, those green eyes softening and unsure. 

“Umm,” He hesitated, glancing at his apron now hanging on the hook. Haru wasn’t sure what to say. This was the first time Makoto had to leave to go to a fire, and he wasn’t sure how to reassure him that there would still be a job for him when he came back. They had discussed that anytime he had to leave for a fire would be fine, that the rest of the staff would cover for him. Haru had tried to set it up to where he could make sure Makoto was paid for those hours too, but Makoto hadn’t let him, determined to only be paid for what he worked.

But that discussion had been distant to Haru. At the time, it had been just a flippant possibility. Fires didn’t happen that often. You almost never heard about them. But here it was, two weeks after he had hired the firefighter, and Haru was faced with the reality that maybe, just maybe, this happened more often than he liked to think about. And that meant there was a chance that...

Finally, Haru just settled on saying “Come back when you’re done, if you can.” 

Makoto’s expression didn’t change, and for a moment, Haru wondered if he’d said something wrong. Makoto walked forward, nearing the door back out to the cafe, before looking at Haru giving a small smile. “I’ll do what can.” He raised an arm and set his hand carefully on Haru’s shoulder, the weight of it sending a burning feeling down his arm. Then Haru blinked, and he was gone, the door swinging behind him and the nerves of Haru’s arm still buzzing.

Haru stood there for a moment, his head still trying to process what was going on before Kisumi whistled behind him. Haru turned and Kisumi jerked his head to the front, towards the swinging doors, towards the jingling of the front door signaling Makoto’s departure. “What me to cover front?”

Haru nodded, then turned back to his bowl.

_________________________________________________________

The caramels refused to set. 

Haru scowled and set the tray on the counter, turning to glance back at the recipe. 

He had done everything right; he was sure of it. Attempt after attempt had been set aside, but between them refusing to set up or turning into rock candies, Haru had recreated the recipes so many times in the last few years, and not once had he gotten it right, He had never once recreated the sweet candies he remembered his grandmother making for him on hot summer days, on days he would visit her. The ones that sat in a bag in his kitchen at home, the last batch she had made before passing away over a year ago. They were probably bad by now, so hardened that they would be inedible. But they were the last ones, the last things the woman who had taught him so much had made. 

Haru would take out the bag occasionally and just set it on the counter while he cooked at home, making one of the other dishes that weren’t written down in the recipe book. One of the ones that remind solely in his memory, from the times his grandmother would show him the measurements, how to debone a fish to get the most meat off of it. She showed him how to find flavors that blended, how they could contrast and make a dish better than just one flavor on its own. The recipes he kept to himself, hoarded close to his heart. These memories were all he had left of his grandmother, and it just didn’t feel right to use them. Not when his grandma had helped him plan the menu for the cafe only three years ago, smiling as she mentioned how nice it would be to have a peaceful place to eat something sweet. 

The caramels were just the final touch. The final thing that he would add to the menu. He remembered when he had asked his grandmother to teach him them. How she had smiled and shaken her head.

“Those aren’t really something you can teach, Haruka. I can teach you the basics, but it's something you can really only perfect on your own. Consider it my final test for you, okay?”

Haru glared at the tray of candies, now warming to room temperature and melting in their wrappings.

A phone rang then, and he looked up at the clock to see it was nearly nine at night. The cafe had been closed for almost two hours and he had barely noticed. Haru walked around the corner to the room where his office was. Where he should have been spending time going over the orders for next week's shipments of ingredients and making sure he corrected the pay calendar. Instead, after thirty minutes of staring at the screen and seeing only black lines wiggling before him, rather than the wages of his employees, his head too full of nothing and everything to focus. 

He reached the phone and raised it to his ear, expecting to hear Nagisa’s voice on the other end. It was pretty common for the boy to call to make sure Haru left the cafe eventually. Haru knew he could just ignore the phone calls, or tell Nagisa to mind his own business, but Nagisa seemed insistent about Haru having a life outside of the cafe and the ocean, so if the calls made him feel better, then Hary figured that it didn’t hurt anything to answer them.

“Hello?”

“Ah, Haru?'' The voice on the other end was not Nagisa, and the shock of hearing that voice made something in Haru’s stomach flip. At least, Haru told himself it was just from surprise. “Nagisa was right, thank goodness.”

“Makoto? The Cafe’s closed.”

“I know, but,” Makoto took a deep breath, then continued. “I, ah, left something there when I left this afternoon. A black bag? I think it’s in the office.”

Haru glanced around and saw the bag, a black backpack with a little charm hanging off of it. He leaned closer to see it was a little stuffed cat.

“Yeah found it.”

Awesome. Do you mind if I come to pick it up tonight? I need it for tomorrow morning.” 

Haru nodded, still staring at the charm. Why did a grown man have a stuffed cat charm on a backpack? In the back of his mind, he decided it was not only fitting for Makoto but also… cute? Then, remembering that Makoto couldn’t see him, He muttered “The backdoors unlocked. You can come in there.”

“Thanks Haru!” There was a raspiness to his voice that made Haru freeze for a moment, but he said goodbye and hung up. Makoto had been taking care of a fire earlier, so it made sense that his voice might be raspy. Smoke was bad for the lungs, and who knew how much the man had breathed in.

Haru returned to the tray in the kitchen, signing at his mess of caramel and began to clean up the pots and pans. It was only minutes later that he heard the back door open, and Haru turned to greet Makoto, only to freeze.

Haru didn’t know much about the fire a few weeks ago that had made Makoto late to his interview for the cafe. It hadn’t seemed particularly important. When Haru turned around, he expected to see a similar sight to what he had seen that day, flushed cheeks, favoring one arm over another if he had burnt it again. 

What he did not expect was the man before him.

Makoto was covered in a fine layer of ash, caught in his hair, staining his white shirt, his jeans, smudged across his face, almost as though his hand had run over it in exhaustion. Dark circles painted under his eyes, drops of sweat-stained his shirt. Under the soot and ash, his tan skin looked darker, almost red in some places. The sleeve of his shirt shifted, and Haru saw a white bandage, also stained with soot, covering most of his left arm.

And the smell. Haru hadn’t spent years in the kitchen without burning something, had even had a few close calls with setting food on fire. He knew the smell of burning cake, a piece of fish, popcorn…

This smell was horrific. Something he couldn’t put words to. The scent of burning wood, burnt flesh, and fire filled his senses, leaving Haru swaying. It pulled at his stomach, sending it lurching.

Suddenly, the words Makoto had said before began to repeat in his head.  _ Housefire. Possible civilians.  _ They had been just words. Haru had figured that the fire had taken an hour, maybe less to take care of. Maybe just smoke setting off the fire alarm. But now…

Haru stepped forward, closer to Makoto. Makoto had been in a fire. He had gone inside a burning building. Someone might have been trapped in there, burning, unsure if they would ever see the sky again. Makoto had risked his  _ life _ to save someone. Someone’s life, their livelihood.

Suddenly, those images he had in his head, those ones that he hadn’t even been aware he had; Images of firemen sliding down poles, comically large hoses spraying fires that devoured abandoned buildings. The scenes from movies, the news articles that discussed fire safety days at schools. All those images he had of firefighters vanished. This was the real thing. A tired man, who looked beaten and damaged… someone he cared about…

“Haru, are-”

“Are you okay?” The words fell from his mouth before he could stop them, and his hand went to Makoto’s forearm, the one that wasn’t burnt further up. The skin felt sticky under his fingers, and heat radiated off him.

Makoto just raised an eyebrow and looked down at himself, as though only now realizing that he looked like he had just stepped out of an inferno. “I mean, my arm’s a little sore, but it could be a lot worse… well, for me, at least. It was an apartment fire. The people in the apartment are ok, and it didn’t spread to any other apartments, but I’m not sure how much of their stuff can be salvaged.”

“But,” Haru wasn’t sure what he meant to say next, but Makoto reached forward to place a hand on his shoulder. 

“Haru, Your shaking” He guided Haru backward, slowly, leading him towards a chair. Once Haru was sitting, Makoto knelt down, his steady green eyes never leaving Haru’s. Haru kept his eyes locked as well, clinging to the shrivel of stability it gave him.

One of Makoto’s hands went up to touch Haru’s forehead before he frowned and shook his head. “Can’t tell if you have a fever,” He muttered, cursing as though it was his fault. As though Haru wasn’t shaking at the idea that he could have lost Makoto so soon after meeting him. As though the idea of losing someone he genuinely trusted. When had he even started considering Makoto someone he could trust? Why was he so thrown off by something he had already known?

Makoto’s eyes narrowed, and suddenly he felt something grip his hand in a vice. “Haru, I need you to breathe, ok? You're hyperventilating.” Was he? With some focus, Haru managed to focus enough to slow his breathing, choosing to match his breaths to the slow, rhythmic pressure he felt pressing against his hand. Eventually his breathing had slowed enough to make Makoto smile at him, like a light through the soot. The cafe’s personal sun. 

Makoto shifted so he was no longer kneeling but sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of him. It was only then That Haru realized the pressure against his hand was still there, and he glanced down to see a much larger hand holding his own. Despite himself, the sight sent Haru’s stomach into knots, though he didn’t know if it was the fact that it was Makoto’s hand that made his breath halt for a moment, or if it was the dark moons of dirt clinging to the underside of his nails.

Makoto followed his gaze, then pulled his hand back, and his cheeks looked a little pink, though Haru was pretty sure that was just because of the heat from his skin.

“Sorry,” Makoto muttered, his hands sinking into his lap, and Haru wanted to tell him it was fine, that the weight of Makoto’s hand in his own made his heart just a little lighter.

They stayed silent for a moment before Makoto looked up at him and asked, “You ok?”

“Yeah I… I just… I don’t think I realize just how serious your other job could be.” Haru couldn’t stop the words as he looked into Makoto’s eyes. It just seemed easy to say it as Makoto looked at him, eyes gentle and soft, somehow so bright against the filth of his skin. 

“Oh,” Makoto shifted, seemingly a little uncomfortable. “Yeah… but this was one of the good ones. Everyone made it out ok. Maybe a few breathing problems, but everyone’s alive. The damage to the building can be repaired. Nothing too bad.”

“But,” He doesn’t know what makes him say it. Maybe it’s just the need for confirmation. But he has to know. “There have been worse ones?”

Makoto seemed to stiffen, and his eyebrows drooped, but the soft smile never left his lips, almost like a parent trying to comfort a child. “Yes, there’s worse. We can just be glad it doesn’t happen as often as the small stuff.”

They sat in silence for a moment before Makoto rose up. Haru watched as he walked over to the office, reached into the dark backpack, and fished something out. Makoto walked back out and headed over to the stove. He set the package down and Haru saw it was a bag of tea. Makoto began to fiddle with the stove and glanced around almost helplessly, and Haru almost smiled.

Almost.

He stood and walked over to the cabinet behind Makoto, opening it and fetching out the teapot before turning to the sink to fill it with water.

“I was going to fix it for you,” There was almost a whine in Makoto’s voice, and before Haru could stop it, the smile slid to his lips. 

“You're not going anywhere near the stove.”

Makoto did go near the stove though, watching as Haru made the tea, and responded quickly when Haru asked him to fetch two cups out from the main Cafe front. Eventually, they stood, a warm cup in each of their hands, chatting quietly, and Haru pretended nothing was going on when his heart leapt in his chest whenever Makoto laughed

“Why did you have tea in your backpack?” Haru asked, sipping the contents of his cup.

“My sister is having a tea party with her friends tomorrow. I was going to bring her favorite kind for her.” He chuckled. I’ll just pick up some more in the morning if there’s not enough.

“How old is your sister?”

“She and my brother are twelve now. Twins.” Makoto grinned, and Haru melted a little at the affection in his eyes. “Ran’s trying to be sophisticated and said she was going to have a proper tea party.” He shrugs. “But our brother told me that apparently it's just a ruse so they can talk about boys, so I don’t know who to believe.”

Haru smiled and took another sip. “Sounds like you have a nice family.”

“The best. What about you?”

Haru shrugged. “Alright, I guess. Lived with my grandmother since high school. She helped me set up this cafe.”

“That’s amazing, Haru! Does she come by often?”

Haru shook his head. “Got sick a year back. She didn’t make it through.”

“Oh. I’m sorry Haru.” 

“It’s fine. I have this place. The recipes are all hers.”

“Really? So It’s like her spirit is always with you?” Makoto glanced around, eyes falling to the caramels. “Oh, new recipe?” He walked over and looked them over. Haru nodded, walking over with him to stare at the disappointing treats. 

“They won’t set upright.”

Makoto hummed and reached out a finger, cleaned since he’d washed them before trying to help with the tea, scooped a little of the thick sweetness onto his finger and popped it into his mouth. Makoto’s eyes closed, and his face relaxed, slipping into an expression of contentment. Haru wondered if that sight matched the feeling he’d always had when his grandmother had made the candies.

“It’s amazing,” Makoto said once he was able to speak, his eyes sliding open to reveal the forest green color again. “Have you tried it yet?”

Haru shook his head and Makoto scooped a little more on his finger holding it out to Haru. Haru hesitated for a moment before leaning forward. He only meant to lick the candy, careful to avoid Makoto’s finger, but eager as always, Makoto pressed his finger forward, and Haru and the tip of the digit in his mouth.

There was the buttery flavor of the caramel, just as he remembered when his grandmother had made it for him. But beneath that was the knowledge that Makoto’s finger was in his mouth.

Haru jerked back at the same time as Makoto, whose face was most definitely redder than before. “Sorry, Haru!!”He almost squeaked. But Haru barely heard the apology over his own laughter. He leaned back against the counter, hand going to his mouth to stifle the sounds. Makoto chuckled a bit too. They quieted, and Makoto asked, “Are you using it as a topping? Like for a cake or a cookie?

“It’s just meant to be a candy.”Haru explained, “But I just can’t get it right.”

“Well, you're so talented, I’m sure you’ll get it soon, Haru! It tasted so good, I’m sure everyone will be excited to try it once you get it right!” Haru looked at him and saw that Makoto’s eyes were fixed on him. Haru froze under that gaze. 

Over the past year, Haru’s attempts at the caramels had been nearly robotic. A few times a week, he would attempt it, be disappointed, then try again the next week. It was familiar. The idea had always been for it to join his grandmother's other recipes to sell. The pastries and cakes were something he took pride in, but for so long, Haru had forgotten the reason why he wanted to introduce these sweets to the world. His grandmother had wanted to make him happy with her treats, and he had wanted to share that happiness with others. 

He’d had the same thought that morning, Haru thought. And both times, Makoto had been the one to remind him. This tired, dirty, living sun had smiled his way into this cafe, and suddenly the warmth Haru once felt here was back. 

“I’m sure you're right, Makoto.” Haru finally said, giving Makoto a small smile. “Maybe they will.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, i'm so sleepy... I edited this chapter a few times, but I'll probably go back over it tomorrow to make grammar edits. But I hope this offering of slight angst and fluff will make you guys overlook major grammar issues for the moment. for now, I'm gonna go crash.


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